Irene He Yuan was born on August 9, 1949 in Shanghai, China. She planned to attend college in 1967, but the cultural revolution in China forced her to become a factory worker. During this time, she studied at night. In 1978-80 she studied at the University of Science and Technology in Peking as a graduate student. In 1980 she gained permission to study in the United States, and she came to Mount Holyoke to study organic chemistry. She received her M.A. in 1982. She stayed in the United States, and worked towards her Ph.D. under the Five College Program. However, she died of cancer on June 20, 1983 in Holyoke, Massachusetts.